WCR PHOTO | RAMON GONZALEZ

During Eucharistic Adoration we come into communion with the Lord, who helps us become like him, says Sister Gilberte Baril, a Dominican Missionary Adorer from Quebec City.

"It's as if the Lord is telling us, 'Come into communion with me and I will make you become me for others.'"

Eucharistic Adoration is the act of worshipping God, who is present in the consecrated Eucharist.

As devotion, Eucharistic Adoration is more than merely looking at the Blessed Sacrament, but "a continuation of what was celebrated in the Mass," says Baril. "The Eucharist is a gift of God and because of the Eucharist all the riches of Christ's salvation come to us. But when Mass is over, the presence of Jesus (continues) in the Eucharist, and we can prolong what we lived in the Mass in front of the Blessed Sacrament."

Baril, prioress general of the Dominican Missionary Adorers in Canada, Sister Judith Giroux, a missionary from Gatineau and Quebec City and Gianetta Baril, a Juno Award winning harpist from Calgary, held a number of events in Caroline, St. Paul, Hobbema and Edmonton March 26-April 1 speaking about Eucharistic Adoration.

The trio said the main sources of inspiration for the encounters are the Word of God, the teachings of the Church and specially the teachings of their founder, Mother Julienne du Rosary, whose cause of beatification and canonization was introduced in Rome in April 2010.

During the encounters, there were moments of teaching, silent adoration and adoration accompanied by harp music and hymns.

The Dominican Missionary Adorers were founded in 1945 as a missionary community with the special mission of making known the love of Christ, declared Baril. "Our mission is to give Eucharistic formation to the people so that they themselves can become adorers in their everyday life."

A native of Edmonton, Baril taught theology at Laval University from 1981 to 1998 before she started to take internal responsibilities in her congregation.

There are 54 Dominican missionary adorers in Canada and Peru. A few of them have been in St. Paul for a number of years working with aboriginal people.

"After the Second Vatican Council we realized that the summit of adoration is the Mass because at Mass Christ offers himself to the Father and unites the whole Church in his offering," Baril said in an interview.

COMMUNION WITH JESUS

"So Eucharistic Adoration is fundamentally communion with Jesus, uniting a community through Mass to his offering to the Father."

Baril said Jesus himself calls us into his movement of love with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

"When we spend time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, he transforms us into adorers, he transforms our life into a life of people who give themselves to the Father and who give themselves also in everyday life," she declared.

What is the Lord's will for us? "We have to discover it, day after day, in our ordinary lives," she replied.

Adoration has to be in everyday life to be authentic. "The Lord says that we can't say 'Lord, Lord, Lord' and not do his will," Baril said.

As missionaries of God's love we have to give what we receive in simple ways, such as smiling to those around us. "A smile can be a testimony of love that speaks about God's love to others. It's a fruit of adoration."

"We are in such a busy and noisy world. It's so important to be able to get out of that humdrum and take time to be alone with the Lord," Baril said. "It's a gift that we need in our day."